


Point Zero

by mirkwood131



Series: Dystopian!au [5]
Category: BLACKPINK (Band), EXO (Band), Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Best Friends, Drama, M/M, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-03-29 03:58:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13918899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mirkwood131/pseuds/mirkwood131
Summary: When everybody starts getting sick from an unknown disease, Baekhyun and Chanyeol see themselves running for their lives and more than that, obliged to face the shortcomings of their relationships when they are faced with hard choices.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been really into more dystopian/sci-fi/zombie-esque themes lately and this fic is the proof. Anyways, I'm quite enjoying the more action packed and less romantic fics as of late at least, so yeah :))
> 
> enjoy :)

“Open up! Open the fuck up, you idiot!”

The knocking doesn’t cease, not even after he hears the faint sound of slippers on the hard wood or the keys slowly turning in the door knob.

“What?!”

“Jongin got sick.”

“And? He always gets sick and skips work for the next 2 weeks.”

“No. You don’t get it. Jongin got sick and when I went to see him-” he shakes his head, looking down at a red spot on his feet.

“Is that blood?!”

“-when I went to see him, he didn’t answer the door, so I used the spare key. Jongin is not alright, Chanyeol.”

“What the fuck are you talking about? Is…6am, for God’s sake.” Chanyeol says, his fingers tightening their grip on the edge of the door as he takes a step back.

“Just listen to me and don’t think that I’m crazy.” he says, leaning on the wall.  

“I might. It’s 6 in the morning and you have freaking blood on your shoes. Did you kill Jongin?” he asks, raising an eyebrow and putting his right hand over his mouth.

“It all started with a cold. His nose was runny and he was having some fever. He told me to go home in case I’ll get it too. It was 3 days ago. Yesterday he sounded off on the phone. Damn it-” he hits the wall with his fists, shutting his eyes close-“-I should have known something was not alright.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Kyungsoo?”

“Those cases of strange flu on TV?”

“It’s been weeks. Nobody has talked about them since.” Chanyeol says, rubbing a spot right underneath his lower lip.

“Jongin has it.”

“Jongin just has a cold.”

“That’s blood. He fucking bit me, Chanyeol!! Do you call that normal behavior?” Kyungsoo asks, lifting the sleeve of his hoodie to reveal the indentations of teeth on his wrist; the blood has dried on the wound, but all around it, veins are coming out of it, winding all over the lower half of his arm, green and blue.

“Oh God.” Chanyeol whispers. “How the fuck…maybe the fever has…”

“He attacked me. I opened the door and he ran towards me and then he just bit me. He looked…just like those people.” Kyungsoo says, covering the mark once again with the sleeve.

“Come in.” Chanyeol says, fully opening the door. “I need to clean that.”

Kyungsoo steps inside, looking back at the staircase covered in shadows and then at the window through which the moon light is shining on the dusty sill.

“Jongin only has the flu.” Chanyeol says, closing the door after him.

“And the biting?”

“I don’t know.” he sighs. “I must have some bandages somewhere…”

Kyungsoo paces around the small living room, looking at a couple of framed photos of Chanyeol and himself, with Chanyeol and other people; most of them old acquaintances that he hasn’t seen since they both finished high-school.

“I found some.” Chanyeol says entering the room. “So you’ve noticed those. Sorry.” he says, pushing the pair of boxer briefs underneath the couch as Kyungsoo keeps staring down at them.

“You haven’t moved in with him yet?!”

“Sit.” Chanyeol says, grabbing his hand and leading him towards the green couch. “And no. Things are…complicated.”

“Complicated?” Kyungsoo asks.

He lifts up the sleeve, hissing as the cold air touches the burning wound.

“Does it look even worse?”

“Yes. Because it might get infected.” Kyungsoo says. “You’ve been dating him since high-school. Isn’t that enough time?”

Chanyeol sighs, taking the wet cloth from the bowl with warm water and afterwards gently patting it onto the reddened skin; rapidly, the clear liquid turns into a dusty shade of pink and soon after, into bright red.

“He cheated on me.”

He keeps looking down, slowly moving the cloth up and down until only the teeth marks and winding veins are visible on the olive skin.

“He doesn’t know that I know.” Chanyeol says, looking up at Kyungsoo.

“And you’re going to keep it this way because you are afraid of losing him.” he says, watching as the bandage is being wrapped around his wrist.

“Baekhyun is…”

“Baekhyun is human and you deserve a fucking apology.” Kyungsoo says, lowering down the sleeve. “Thanks.”

“And Jongin?”

Kyungsoo shakes his head, leaning back on the couch. He closes his eyes, breathing in deeply.

“Maybe it’s not the flu.” he whispers.

“It has to be it, Kyungsoo.” Chanyeol says, pacing around with the hands on his narrow hips.

“And what if it isn’t?!”

He finally opens his eyes, looking straight at the flat screen and afterwards at a photo with the four of them at the graduation ceremony, brightly smiling in the warm May light.

“Can you please turn on the TV?” Kyungsoo asks.

“It’s only bullshit at this hour.” Chanyeol says, but grabs the remote from the small coffee table and presses a button. It opens with the face of a woman and then, it suddenly shows a man covered by shadows running down the middle of the street with an arm dangling loosely next to his body.

“That’s…” Kyungsoo whispers, sitting up.

“Jongin? It cannot be Jongin. He-you locked him in the apartment, right?! Right?!” Chanyeol asks, glancing back at the other and afterwards, back at the screen.

“Shut up…” Kyungsoo whispers, watching as the camera zooms in and suddenly he can clearly see Jongin’s bloodshot eyes and green pale skin. There’s blood on his lips and around his mouth and suddenly, the man strides towards the camera, so fast that the arm falls down on the ground, but he doesn’t stop from running. The image becomes jittery, as if the camera was moving up and down and to the sides, and suddenly, everything focuses on the asphalt and a pair of shoes. There’s a high pitched scream and the screen turns black in an instant.

“That’s fucking not the flu.” Chanyeol says, placing the remote down onto the table.

“No. It isn’t.” Kyungsoo whispers, sitting down. “Damn it!!” he yells, closing his eyes and punching the couch with his fist. “Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”

Chanyeol keeps standing in the middle of the room, looking at Kyungsoo and then back down at his cold sweated hands.

“Damn it! It’s all my fault.” he whispers, pressing the palms of his hands over his eyes.

“You couldn’t have known. We don’t even know what it is yet.” Chanyeol says, sitting next to him. “It could just be-”

“His fucking arm fell off?! How the fuck is this the flu? You saw it just as I saw it.” Kyungsoo says.

“-we cannot be sure…”

“How can you not be sure?! He bit me.” Kyungsoo says.

Chanyeol stands up, sighing, walking in circles with the hands on his hips. It’s silence, as Kyungsoo’s breathing becomes equal once again and Chanyeol stops right behind the couch.

“We could call the police.” he says.

“We could…” Kyungsoo whispers.

“He is alright…don’t worry.” Chanyeol says, patting his shoulder.

He picks up the phone from his pocket and stares at the black screen for a while. Outside, a siren passes by the window, making them both flinch and look at the dusty orange sky.

“Hello? I’d like to know if…I’m looking for Kim Jongin. He was on the news today.” he finally says, pressing the phone on his ear. “Thank you.”

Chanyeol puts the device down inside the pocket and sighs.

“We cannot see him. They took him to some hospital where they run tests on him.”

“Oh.”

“He’ll be alright. In a couple of days we’ll laugh at all of this because there was nothing to really worry about.” Chanyeol says, smiling.

“His arm fell off in the middle of the street!!” Kyungsoo yells, rapidly standing up. “What hospital is he in?!”

Chanyeol stands up and then falls back on the couch, rubbing a spot between his eyebrows. For a couple of seconds it keeps being quiet until he says: “They didn’t tell me…”

“I need to know where he is. It’s all my fault. He’s all alone and afraid in there and I should be with him not-not-”

“There’s nothing we can do now.” Chanyeol says, walking up to him. “You’re pale…and your eyes. Bloodshot.” he whispers, staring down at his face.

He gently touches his cheek, and then, suddenly, Kyungsoo slaps him over the hand. His entire body trembles and he takes a step back, away from the other.

“Get your hand off of me.”

“You’re not okay…I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“You said it’s only the flu. It’s just the flu.” Kyungsoo says, grabbing his wrist.

“He bit you.”

Kyungsoo looks around, back at the shelf filled with frames and then at the couch and the edge of the boxer briefs. His hand falls down and he closes his eyes, feeling his body become sore and lightweight.

“Alright. But it’s just the flu.” he says, looking into Chanyeol’s eyes.

“Just the flu.”

 

“He has the flu.” Chanyeol says to the woman dressed in a blue robe that’s standing behind the white desk.

“He has the flu?” she raises an eyebrow, glancing back, at the nurse sitting behind on a chair. “Everyone waiting in here has it.”

“So what do we do?”

“Take a seat and wait.” she says, pointing towards the only free one in the entire room. “It might take a while.”

Kyungsoo strides towards it, keeping quiet the entire time and looking down, right at the red stain still on his shoe.

“It’s pointless. I’m fine.” he says, tripping on his left foot.

“We just need to be sure.” Chanyeol says, touching his elbow. “Sit. You heard her.”

“Chanyeol?” Kyungsoo says, looking up at him.

“Yes.”

“You can go home. It’s almost 7 and-”

“Damn it! I have to call in sick.” Chanyeol slaps himself over the forehead. “I’ll be right back.” he smiles, walking away from Kyungsoo.

He glances to his left, where a man is sleeping with his mouth wide open and then right in front, at the big TV hung on the wall.

There’s the face of a man and in big red letters that the ‘flu’ has made a comeback. And afterwards, he sees Jongin as big as the entire screen, covered in the greyness of that morning, running towards the cameras. Another shot, and Jongin’s arm falls down on the asphalt and there’s when the video ends. Kyungsoo bends down, closing his eyes and covering his ears with his hands. His wrist keeps silently pounding and so, he lifts the sleeve, feeling hot liquid trickling down; but he cannot see anything, only the white of the bandage.

“Hey, man. Are you alright?!” a voice asks.

“Huh?”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. Just…I caught the flu.” Kyungsoo says.

“Yeah…my wife did too.” the man nods, looking at him. “You look very pale. Are you sure you’re feeling alright?”

“Yes. Yes. Just the flu.”

“It was to come, you know. When I saw that-that man on TV, I actually thought that I was seeing one of those horror movies.” the man says. “I’m Junmyeon, by the way.”

“Kyungsoo.” he says, shaking the other’s hand.

“She should be out by now. My wife, I mean.” Junmyeon says, glancing at the TV.

“For how long has she been in?”

“Half an hour?” Junmyeon shrugs. “I heard a nurse saying that this is not normal flu…they even said that the man on TV might be here. With us. And the police, of course or maybe the FB-”

“The man? The man they’ve just showed on TV?! That man?” Kyungsoo asks.

“Yes. Why are you-”

“Is he in this hospital?” Kyungsoo asks, standing up.

“That’s what I heard. Hey!! Where are you going?!” Junmyeon asks but Kyungsoo is running down the hallway, up to the first door he sees, one with a big red sign on it. He pushes it and steps inside, into another smaller hallway.

It’s finally quiet.

He looks around, walking slowly as his wrist feels like burning and all his body is covered in cold sweat.

Right in front of him, where the small hallway opens into a big, circular room, he hears noises. Voices, the roll of metal wheels on the tiles and a laugh.

He glances around and notices, on his right, a white door. His fingers close around the knob, turning it around. The voices grow higher and higher, until he can discern the sound of footsteps and the ruffle of clothes.

He steps inside and shuts it close.

“Lock all the sick people in the clinic. They cannot leave the hospital until we run enough tests on Subject J. And not even then…” one of the voices says, getting closer and closer to the door.

The footsteps suddenly stop and he ducks down, until he’s standing on the ground, with his hand covering his nose and mouth. Kyungsoo can feel his heart drumming in his ears, looking up at the door knob, expecting it at every second to twist.

“Do you at least know what is it?”

“If I knew, do you think we would have to lock them all up?!” the voice says. “Quarantine. That’s what is called.”

Afterwards, when the sound of metal wheels on the floor starts once again becomes fainter and fainter, it’s quiet.  Kyungsoo stands up and steps closer to the small window in the door and looks through it. The hallway is empty once again.

He opens it and glances around, to his left and right, and lifts up the sleeve once again. The bandage is covered in red.

“Damn it.” he whispers, running back, back towards the door at the end of the hallway that he rapidly opens and closes after him.

“Kyungsoo.”

“We have to go.” he says, looking up at Chanyeol.

“What? You need a consult.”

“I’m fine. I don’t need anything. We have to go. Right now.” Kyungsoo says, grabbing his hands and pulling him towards the exit.

“Kyungsoo. What is wrong?!”

“I don’t have time.” he says, speeding up his pace.

“Kyungsoo. You need that damn consult.” Chanyeol says once they are in front of the exit doors and Kyungsoo pushes them with all his force.

“They’ll lock everybody inside.” he says, turning around to look at him.

“How do you know?”

“I heard it.”

“Kyungsoo…you’re sweating and it’s not even that warm outside. This is not an ordinary flu.“ Chanyeol says, placing the palm of his hand over Kyungsoo’s forehead. "You’re running a fever.”

“I’m fine. Let’s go home.” he says.

“You shouldn’t do-”

“I don’t want to get locked up in that place where they are probably doing all those tests on Jongin. Because I couldn’t be bothered to check on him.” he says. “I can’t.”

“Alright.” Chanyeol whispers, walking towards the car.

He lightly shakes his head, unlocking the door. Right then, he hears a high pitched scream and immediately afterwards a woman with blood on her face, is running towards both them, followed by a man with a missing arm and decomposing face; his bones are breaking through the flesh, and all the blood has dried up around them. His skin is pale, too pale and as Kyungsoo opens the door with trembling fingers, their eyes meet and the man stops. The woman keeps running, straight towards their car, still screaming, waving her hands through the air.

“Drive! Drive! Get us the fuck out of here!” Kyungsoo screams and Chanyeol pushes the gas pedal.

The wheels screech on the asphalt and suddenly, something hits the car, covering the window for a couple of seconds and then the vehicle stops; covering the windscreen, a red substances trickles down, thick and slowly, blocking their view.

“Fuck it! She just-she just…” Chanyeol stutters, hitting the breaks.

“Drive! Drive damn out of here!!” Kyungsoo screams, looking out of the window, at the man who keeps staring at him. “Drive, Chanyeol!”

“I just hit a woman! I hit a woman!” Chanyeol screams, opening the door.

“Don’t!” Kyungsoo says and shuts it close once again.

When he looks outside once again at the man who is walking straight to them.

“Drive!” he yells and Chanyeol finally pushes the pedal and the car starts, driving straight into the street. “Just drive.” he says, looking back at the man who keeps on walking towards the doors of the hospital.


	2. Chapter 2

“I fucking drove over her!” Chanyeol yells, as the car keeps speeding down the empty road.

“That…thing was about to kill her anyways. Maybe she’s still alive.” Kyungsoo says, looking back through the window.

“How-how can you be so-so…cold?! I might have killed someone and you-”

“Because this shit is not just the flu and she might have been infected.” Kyungsoo says, glancing at him. “I might be infected too.”

“Don’t say that.” Chanyeol whispers.

“Jongin bit me. Jongin is sick.” he says, leaning on the window.

The houses and trees keep passing by them in a blur and everything is quiet. There is no movement outside, so few cars and people, people who keep looking down as they stride on the sidewalk, gripping at their belongings.

“I’m going to stop by Baekhyun’s workplace, alright?” Chanyeol asks, glancing at Kyungsoo.

“Alright.” he says, closing his eyes and breathing in deeply.

The light is brushing on his cold skin, and even though he can feel the warmth seeping through his clothes, his body still trembles.

“Kyungsoo…will the police look for us?” Chanyeol asks, gripping the steering wheel.

Kyungsoo only shrugs, rubbing his hands over his arms as the shivering becomes even worse. Cold sweat trickles down on his forehead, down on the bridge of his nose, dripping straight onto his shirt.

“Hey…are you feeling okay?” Chanyeol asks, looking at him.

“I don’t know.”

“We’ll be there in a moment. I’ve already called Baekhyun.” he says, looking straight ahead just as a woman runs right in front of the car.

He suddenly pushes the break, stopping only centimeters away from her shape that doesn’t move anymore.

“Have you seen that?” Chanyeol asks, glancing at Kyungsoo.

The woman steps towards the car, not even avoiding it when she touches its front with her pale hands that are beginning to claw at the metal. Her glassy eyes, filled with broken vessels, shine in the headlights and when she opens her mouth, there’s dried up blood on her teeth.

“Damn it.”

“Drive. Drive drive drive! Now!!” Kyungsoo yells and Chanyeol pushes the gas pedal just as the figure tries to climb right onto the car.

For a couple of meters, she still grabs at the hood, leaving deep marks into it.

“How-she won’t-” Chanyeol mumbles just as the woman eventually falls down and the car passes over her. “-damn it!”

“Keep driving.” Kyungsoo says, holding his head between his hands. “I need to rest. I need silence…” he whispers, as everything is spinning around with him.

He closes his eyes, but it only intensifies the feeling, lost in the moving darkness.

“Damn it. This is not the flu. This cannot be the flu.” Chanyeol says, rapidly looking over at the other. “We’re almost there.” he says, pressing the gas pedal one more time.

They stop right in front of a glass building where too many people are loitering around, as if the entirety of the town has suddenly appeared right there.

“This is a mess.” the man who enters the car says. “Total mess. Have you seen the news? A sick dude broke into the hospital and killed a couple of people.”

“We’ve just…left that hospital.” Kyungsoo whispers, looking back at him.

“Are you alright?”

“He’s tired.” Chanyeol says, patting his shoulder.

“Now I know why I’ve bought that damn country house. For crap like this.” the man says.

“We should buy some food first, Baekhyun.” Chanyeol says.

“On our way. Not from here.” Kyungsoo says; he silently lifts up the sleeve of his hoodie and stares at the bloody bandage. The skin around it is tinted red and even the garment is stained by it.

He rapidly peels it off, glancing from time to time into the rearview mirror, right at Baekhyun who is looking out of the window.

The bandage falls onto the floor, revealing the same teeth marks and winding veins, but mixed with the blood, there’s puss and something that resembles small bugs, crawling through the sticky liquid. He shakes his head a couple of times until the car spins again with him, and when he glances back at the wound, it’s only blood and puss.

“Kyung-”

“Shut up.” he whispers, looking back into the rearview mirror. “Shut up.”

“We should be there in 3 hours. I’m sure they have a couple of shops, right?” Baekhyun asks.

“They should.” Chanyeol says.

“Turn on the radio.“ Baekhyun says and Chanyeol’s finger presses the start button.

"How can they still play music?” Baekhyun huffs, leaning on the window.

Kyungsoo looks down, at the blood slowly dripping on his khaki pants that he wore the other day at work, the day when he went to see Jongin.

“Chanyeol…” he whispers.

“Your…we need to take a break.” Chanyeol says, hitting the breaks.

“We’re not even out of the city? What has gotten into you?” Baekhyun asks.

“I need to tell him.”

“No, you can’t.” Kyungsoo shakes his head. “You cannot.”

“I have to.” Chanyeol says and turns around to look at Baekhyun. “Give me the first aid kit.”

“What? Why?”

“Just give it to me.” Chanyeol says and finally, Baekhyun throws it in his arms. “Kyungsoo…he was bitten by Jongin. Jongin was sick and…” he says, opening the box with shaky movements.

“Is it true?” Baekhyun asks, looking straight at the back of Kyungsoo’s head. “I’m asking you something!”

“Yes. He bit me.” Kyungsoo says, looking down at how Chanyeol pours rubbing alcohol on a cloth; it stings when he places it over the wound, but he only hisses in response.

“We cannot take him with us then. Why didn’t he stay at the hospital?” Baekhyun asks, glancing in the rearview mirror. “Chanyeol. He’ll kill us both. Haven’t you seen those people on the street?”

Chanyeol’s hold on Kyungsoo’s wrist tightness and he flinches at the touch until his hand is set free. He looks down at the palm of his hand and at the drops of blood all over it, trickling down on his arm, staining his grey t-shirt.

“I have. And I couldn’t leave him in there.” he says, patting once again the wound with the cloth.

“Why can’t you understand that he is not Kyungsoo anymore? He won’t.” Baekhyun says and Kyungsoo glances back at him. “We cannot take him with us.”

“He is my best friend!! You don’t leave family behind!” Chanyeol yells, dropping the cloth on the floor.

Kyungsoo looks out of the window, at the empty street, at the colored papers flying through the air. His wrist keeps pounding and from time to time, the cold sweats return, followed by a burning sensation all over his body.

“You leave. When you have no other choice. I’m asking you to choose me. Your boyfriend.” Baekhyun says, gripping the headrest. “Me. Me. Not him.”

Kyungsoo looks back down at the teeth marks and he can clearly see once again those black bugs crawling on his skin, going up and up underneath the flesh, up on his chest, in his mouth and nose. His chest suddenly tightens and air doesn’t seem to be able to get inside his lungs.

Chanyeol shakes his head and picks up the bandages from the white box.

“I can’t.” he whispers, wrapping it around the wrist.

“And then I cannot do this anymore.” Baekhyun says and opens the door of the car.

He steps outside with slow movements, looking back for a couple of seconds before he starts walking.

“Stop!” Kyungsoo yells, stepping outside.

The ground and sky spin around with him, all the colors mixing together in a blur.

“I’ll leave. You’re right.” he says. “I’m sick.” he whispers.

“I’m sick.”

He leans on the car, closing his eyes but the spinning becomes even worse. Those black bugs appear once again, crawling up and down in the blackness of his mind, creating it.

“I’ll leave.” he whispers, taking a step away from the vehicle.

“Good.” Baekhyun says, getting back inside the car.

Kyungsoo makes another step and when he opens his eyes, the bugs are everywhere. On the buildings, on the asphalt, over him.

The skin underneath the bandages itches as if those same black bugs were crawling underneath it so Kyungsoo rips it away.

There’s nothing, only the teeth marks and those veins.

He starts walking, not looking back at the car that gets further and further away from him. It’ quiet and everything is still as he passes by the same places as before. No people, not even animals.

Then, he hears a loud scream coming from one of the small apartment complexes, followed by some lower and lower in intensity ones, until all the noise ceases. It’s quiet once again and he can feel the drumming of his heart in his ears.

After a while, his pace quickness, as if something was following him closely, without letting itself be seen. He turns around to glance back, but only one red flyer is being whirled through the air and then it simply gets stuck in a small tree.

Kyungsoo speeds up his pace, as the feeling doesn’t seem to dissipate and his wrist keeps pounding without rest. He lifts up the sleeve and stares down at the red bandage on which hundreds of black bugs are crawling around; underneath the skin, making it bunch up and almost implode.

“Damn it!” he yells, shaking his hand around, but none of the insects falls down, they only grow bigger and bigger until they cover his wound. They crawl up his arm, to his neck, biting down on the skin.

He slaps himself over the entire body, crushing their carcases underneath his palms.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it!” he keeps yelling until he hears barking from behind him and when he turns around, a black dog, almost as big as him is running in his direction.

Half of his face is missing, the white bones poking through the rotting skin covered in dried blood and puss.

Another bark and the distance grows smaller and smaller between them two, until Kyungsoo feels his feet glued on the concrete; he feels a cold, prickling sweat covering his body, dripping into his eyes and making his vision turn blurry.

His foot doesn’t want to move and the dog barks one more time.

“Get the fuck into the car!” a voice yells and when he glances to his left he sees Chanyeol’s car parked right across the street. “Run! Run! Run! Run!” he shouts and Kyungsoo looks one more time at the dog which is steps away from him.

And then, his vision turns black as he keeps on falling down, down on the sidewalk as the black dog jumps right on him and its yellow teeth sink deep into his neck. Blood gushes out of the wound, thick and bright red, covering both of their faces.

He cannot hear anything, all the sounds-the shouting, the barking and his breath, his heartbeat, all of them mixing together in the darkness.

“Kyungsoo! Fuck it!” he hears a voice and then, suddenly, those yellow teeth stop from biting his flesh.

It’s suddenly quiet and he thinks that even his heartbeat has stopped.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

“Kyungsoo! Damn it, stand up!” Chanyeol says, grabbing him by the elbow. “Come on, stand up.”

“The dog…the dog. Where is the dog?” Kyungsoo asks, glancing around.

“There’s no dog.” he says, lifting him up with both hands. “You are safe. Hey…do you hear me?”

“The dog…it bit me. I know there’s a dog. It will bite you too.” Kyungsoo whispers, brushing the other away but as he makes one step forward, he stumbles to the ground.

“Kyungsoo…let’s go. I’m taking you to the car.” Chanyeol says, lifting him up once again and this time, Kyungsoo grabs at his arm, leaning with all his weight on him as they cross the street to the car.

“I think I can hear it…the dog. I can hear it, I can hear the dog!” Kyungsoo screams, pushing Chanyeol away and then, suddenly, glancing down at the red sleeve of his hoodie.

He lifts it up with trembling fingers, revealing the teeth marks, covered in puss and dried up blood.

“Bugs…take them off of me…please, Chanyeol, I don’t want them to crawl all over me!” he whispers, waving his arm around.

“Okay. Okay. Calm down. You just need to take a deep breath in.” Chanyeol says, stepping closer to him. “There are no bugs. You are here with me and we are going somewhere safe.” he whispers, touching his hand.

“Take them off…” Kyungsoo mumbles, walking closer to him.

Chanyeol wraps both arms around his body, breathing in deeply.

“It’s going to be alright.” he whispers, glancing back at Baekhyun, still sitting in the car, watching them quietly. “Let’s get inside the car…”

“The bugs…they are everywhere. They are all over you.” Kyungsoo says, his voice growing in intensity with each word.

He rapidly steps back, his eyes moving in his head as he stares at Chanyeol’s body. “All over you…”

“There’s no bugs…come on.” he smiles.

He opens the door to the passenger’s seat and Kyungsoo slowly steps inside, looking from time to time at the other side of the street.

“You better know what you are doing. If not, you’re killing the three of us.” Baekhyun says, glancing at Kyungsoo. “It’s not him anymore.”

“Yes, it is.” Chanyeol says, pushing the gas pedal down.

Silence falls in the car as they pass by the same buildings as before. Only when they reach the outskirts of the town, the traffic intensifies, and right on the bridge over the small river of Winthorpe, there’s a traffic jam.

“Turn on the radio.” Baekhyun says, leaning on the headrest.

“Can-can you turn on the heating?” Kyungsoo asks, rubbing both hands all over his body.

“I think he’s running a fever.” Chanyeol says, glancing in the rearview mirror.

“Of course he does. He’s sick.” Baekhyun says. “Wait another 2 hours and Kyungsoo will be anything but not the one you knew.”

“Damn it. He’s right here, right here. When did you become so-so…”

“Heartless? Is that what you are trying to say?” Baekhyun asks.

“Maybe…” Chanyeol sighs.

“Let’s get out of the town and then we’ll see what is to do.” Baekhyun says.

Kyungsoo looks out through the window, at the way the deep blue waters foam right underneath them and for a fleeting second, he thinks that all of it is made out of those black bugs.

“Kyungsoo…how are you holding up?” Chanyeol asks, glancing back at him.

“Good. I’m good.”

“We could stop, if you want.”

“No, I’m fine. I’m fine.” he whispers.

They eventually pass by the bridge, out in the fields covered in corn and wheat, which are now wizened.  But his trembling doesn’t subsides, as his body becomes colder and colder, his skin paler, colored in light green.

“In 3 hours we should be there.” he hears Baekhyun say at some point, the reflection glaring at him from the rearview mirror.

Kyungsoo closes his eyes, gulping down the bile that keeps gathering inside his mouth. In the darkness, he sees the same small, black bugs, crawling around.

“Kyungsoo.” he hears a voice.

He isn’t sure if it’s Chanyeol’s.

“Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo.”

But the bugs keep growing bigger and bigger, until when he tries to open his eyes, they feel glued together as the bugs have grabbed at the thin skin with their sharp claws.

“I’m stopping.”

“No, you are not.”

“Look at him.”

“I am.”

“I’m stopping.”

“For God’s sake Chanyeol, do you want to live or not?!”

“And let him…”

“There’s nothing you can do about him. Nothing.”

“I’m stopping.”

And when the car stops with a harsh break, Kyungsoo’s body falls forward, right on one of the backrests. His head begins spinning, as the bugs remain unmoved before his eyes, melting together with the image of the dog that keeps barking in his mind.

“Kyungsoo. Wake up.” Chanyeol says, shaking him. “Kyungsoo!!” he yells.

“The bugs…they are everywhere.” he whispers, eventually opening his eyes.

“There are no bugs…you are safe. You are with me. Okay?”

“The bugs…”

Chanyeol looks down, at the reddened sleeve of his grey hoodie and when he lifts it up he can clearly see blood and thin, translucent warms crawling all over the skin.

“Fuck!”

“That’s infected.” Baekhyun says.

“Do you think that I cannot see?!”

“You shouldn’t have brought him with us!! It’s my house after all. I can throw you out of the car with him if I want. I…I want to live-damn it!”

“What has happened to you?” Chanyeol asks, glancing back at him.

“I want to live. I want us to live and I’m sorry about what happened to him…but we need to survive.”

“Cut it…”

“What?” Chanyeol asks, looking right back at Kyungsoo.

“Cut it…my arm.” he whispers, looking down at it.

“No.”

“Cut it. Please cut it. I can’t. They are all over it!! If you cut it, it will go away.” Kyungsoo says, trembling.

“No. You’ll bleed to death!”

“Cut it!!!” Kyungsoo yells, opening the door.

“Stop!”

But Kyungsoo is already running towards the trunk, hitting his limb on the metal until the wound opens wider and blood starts gushing out, splattering his face and the grey hoodie. Pieces of flesh remain caught on the edges and the warms start falling down on the ground.

“Stop it!” Chanyeol says, grabbing both of his hands from the back.

“Cut it!” Kyungsoo mumbles, wiggling in his hold until he kicks him in the shin and Chanyeol releases him. “Go away…leave me alone…” Kyungsoo breaths out, walking backwards towards a tree until his back hits it.

Before his eyes he can only see black, round shapes mixing in with everything.

“Kyungsoo…it’s me…” Chanyeol says, stepping closer to him.

“Go. Away!”

“No.” he whispers, shaking his head.

“Go away!!” Kyungsoo yells. “Go! Go!”

“Let’s go, Chanyeol.” Baekhyun says.

“No.”

“Gooooo!” Kyungsoo screams, the sound reverberating through the woods.

“No…”

“Let’s go, Chanyeol.”

“I cannot leave him here.”

“This is not Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo is gone. This is only the disease. Let’s go. Please.”

“Gooooo!!”

“Kyungsoo…” Chanyeol whispers, stepping inside the car; he glances one last time back at him, still leaning on that tree, with his hand bleeding as the liquid is gathering at his feet.

When he looks down, right at his wrist he notices a small, but deep cut that hasn’t been there before.

“Chanyeol. We did the right thing.”

He only sighs, keeping his eyes on the road.

“He cannot be helped anymore.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song recom: [ Chvrches-Never say die ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifr3O33UpWs)  
> enjoy:)

“Baekhyun…” he whispers, glancing at the other who is leaning on the window with both of his eyes closed.

“Stop thinking about it. We did the right thing in this situation.” he says, looking back at him with a smile.

It’s silent for a while, as Chanyeol sees so many cars passing by, speeding by them as the road gets more and more crowded, until they have to stop once again, right underneath a big oak tree that casts an irregular shadow over their side.

“Don’t get out. We don’t know what’s out there.” Baekhyun says, touching his hand.

“People. That’s what is out there. People caught in their own cars trying to get out of here. People.”

“People that might have been infected.” Baekhyun says. “Lock the doors.”

“Kyungsoo scratched me.” Chanyeol says, pressing a button.

Baekhyun shakes his head, looking down at his muddy shoes.

“Say something!”

“It’s only a scratch…it cannot-” Baekhyun says and suddenly, Chanyeol pushes the finger right in his face.

It is red and inflamed, green puss covering the thin cut, as small, white warms are crawling on the skin.

“I’m sick too. And the disease is even faster this time. His-his wound only looked like this after a day…”

“You can’t be. You can’t be.” Baekhyun says, staring at him. “Why did you touch him?! Why?! Do you want to become like one of them? Do you want me to…to…get away from me.” he yells the last words, pressing his body on the door and lifting his feet onto the seat.

“I’m…I wouldn’t hurt you…not…”

“Jongin bit Kyungsoo!! You’d do the same! Get away from me. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die.” Baekhyun whispers, as his body starts to tremble and he hides his head between his knees.

“You won’t die. I’ll get you to the farm and then I’ll-”

“You won’t drive me to the farm. You are sick. Sick. You’ll get me sick too. It’s all Kyungsoo’s fault, that selfish bastard!” he says between gritted teeth as his eyes keep wondering around the entire car, moving so fast in the orbits.

“Baekhyun. You need to calm down. Nobody wants to hurt you.” Chanyeol says, moving his hand forward until it is a couple of centimeters away from Baekhyun.

He glances down at it and then, quickly, he slaps it, leaving a big red mark on the skin.

“I won’t hurt you. I promise. Please, Baek…you need to calm down. See?” he says, looking straight ahead. “The cars have started to advance.”

“No. No. You’ll hurt me. You’ll all try to hurt me. Make me one of you. That’s why you brought Kyungsoo with you…” he whispers, bracing himself with both hands.

“Stop it!” Chanyeol says, slapping him over the face. “Stop it and think straight, for God’s sake.”

“Cha-Chanyeol?” Baekhyun blubbers, looking at him.

“I’m right here. I’ll get you to a safe place and then I’ll leave. I won’t ever hurt you. I promise that to you.” he says as Baekhyun wraps both arms around him, leaning on his chest with his head.

“I…I trust you.” he whispers into a trembling exhale.

“I know. Now. We must get moving.” he says, gently pushing Baekhyun away.

“Okay…okay…” he breaths as Chanyeol turns on the radio and starts the engine.

As the parched fields are left behind them, Chanyeol keeps looking down at the cut on his finger that has stopped bleeding for some time, as the coagulated blood has mixed in with the puss and covered the wound. “How’s your finger?” Baekhyun asks.

“Fine.” Chanyeol says, glancing at it one more time to see a worm crawling on the skin; he shivers, his body tensing up as a strange warmth seeps into his body.

“You’re sweating.”

“I’m fine.” he says.

“Chanyeol…”

“I’m not going to jump at your throat and kill you.” he says, sighing.

He suddenly presses the breaks as the grey car in front of them stops just as rashly and in the near distance they can both hear constant honks and screams.

“Check the doors.” Chanyeol says.

“Wha-why?”

“Check them, Baekhyun. Check them to see if they are locked.”

“They are. They are. What’s happening? Chanyeol. What’s happening?” Baekhyun asks, looking at him.

“I don’t know…I-fuck!!” he screams as a man with half of his face missing appears at his window, opening its mouth to show the bloody teeth and gums.

“Chanyeol…” Baekhyun mumbles, crawling to the floor.

“Sit right there. Right there.” Chanyeol says, staring at the man.

Its pale greenish-blue hands claw at the window, scratching and hitting it incessantly as its mouth keeps closing and opening.

“Chanyeol….”

“Shut up.” he says, glancing at a woman running between the lines of cars, followed by two other people with missing body parts.

“Heelp!! Heelp!!”

“I’m scared.” Baekhyun mumbles.

“It’s alright. We are safe.” he says and right then, the car is propelled forward, into the one in front of them and when he looks back he can clearly see through the broken window in the back, a black van that has hit them and broke the back window.

“Cha-Chanyeol.”

“Shut up. Just shut up.” he whispers, looking back at the driver who suddenly regains consciousness.

“Damn it.”

“What happened? What’s that noise?” Baekhyun asks, as the driver gurgles and chokes down on his own thick blood that keeps pouring down from his mouth as a shard of glass is poking from one of his eyes.

“We need to get out of here.” Chanyeol says. “We need to get out.”

“Why?! You said it is safe…I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die…” he mumbles, trembling on the floor.

Chanyeol looks back one more time at the man crawling through the glass and metal, trying to get inside their own car.

“Unlock the door. Now. We are getting out through that side. It’s safer that way.” Chanyeol says.

“No-no…outside it’s them. Them-them…they’ll kill me. I don’t want to die.” he whispers, hugging his knees, rocking himself from side to side.

“Now Baekhyun if you don’t want that thing to get here and kill both of us. Now, for God’s sake!” he yells, pushing Baekhyun to the side and with trembling fingers, unlocks the door.

He rapidly opens it and crawls on the seat before he jumps outside, on the ground, grabbing Baekhyun from the collar of his shirt.

“Let go of me. I’m not going outside. Let me-” but he places his hand over his mouth, dragging him until only his feet are on the floor of the car.

Chanyeol looks at the back, where the man is clawing at the cushions, trying to regain his balances as his feet and knees are punctured by glass shards.

“Shut up if you don’t want everyone to hear us.” Chanyeol whispers, putting Baekhyun on the grass and then closing the door shut. “Fuck, the keys.” he says, patting his pockets.

“Chanyeol…I don’t want to die…”

“If you don’t want to die you’ll stop whining and you’ll stand up and hold my hand. We got to run.” he says, glancing around from behind the car.

“I-I can’t…my feet are…”

“Your feet are fine. We don’t have much time. I don’t have much time.” he says, closing his eyes shut as he can clearly see crawling on his skin, right from the scratch a small black bug.

“Let’s go.” he says, standing up and lifting Baekhyun by his hand. “I’ll count to 3 and then we run. 1. 2. 3. Ruuun!!” he says, pushing Baekhyun forward as his feet start running.

He falls to the ground and Chanyeol lifts him up once again, as another bug appears on his skin, on Baekhyun’s face, getting inside his nose.

“Run! Run if you don’t want to die.” he says and Baekhyun eventually starts walking, glancing back from time to time, at the thick smoke now coming from the engine of their car.

“I can’t. My lungs are burning.” Baekhyun says and Chanyeol suddenly stops, pushing Baekhyun to the ground, right behind a car.

“Wha-” he tries to say but the other’s hand covers his mouth.

“There’s something…on the road.” he whispers.

Chanyeol glances through the space between the cars at a man walking straight towards the same opening. “Move. Move. Move.” he says, pushing Baekhyun.

His vision is suddenly blackening as the big bugs appear before his eyes, covering everything, from his arms, to the grass and cars. All of him is covered in cold sweats and shivers, making him unable to move from that spot.

“Chanyeol. Chanyeol. You said…”

“You go…I’m not…feeling well.” he whispers, closing his eyes.

“Come on. Please.” Baekhyun says, grabbing his hand and pulling him forward until his feet move on their own. “It’s right behind us.” Baekhyun says.

“Pleease…help me. I’m so cold and lonely…and the bugs. They are everywhere. Everywhere. Please…” the man says, leaning with his arm on the car.

“I’m so-so-sorry. We can’t he-help you.” Baekhyun says, pulling Chanyeol forward.

“Pleeasee…take me with you…the bugs and my wife…” the man cries as his chest shudders and then Baekhyun notices the deep, long cut on his neck that’s covered in blood, puss and white worms. “My wife they told me she died…in the hospital. From the flu.” he cries, stepping forward. “The flu…the hospital…”

“What hospital?” Chanyeol asks, slightly turning around to see the man.

“Hospital…they locked us all in…” he says, coughing blood on the asphalt. “All of us and then…someone bit me and everyone was screaming and my wife…” he shudders, making one more step forward. “The bugs…can you see the bugs too?”

Chanyeol keeps looking at him as his vision blurs and goes back to normal. The bugs keep crawling on everything he sees.

“No. There’s no bugs.” he gulps down.

“Can I come with you?” the man asks.

“What’s your name?”

“Junmyeon.”

“Junmyeon…I’m so sorry. But you cannot.” Chanyeol says, glancing back at Baekhyun.

“Why?! Why?! I don’t wanna die. I don’t!” he screams.

“Easy…easy. You don’t want to be heard.” he says, as the cold sweats return and his vision blurs, forcing him to lean on the car in order to not fall on the ground.

“Start walking away…” he whispers.

“What?”

“Walk away…slowly…and then run. Run…” he whispers and then he tries to open his eyes once again.

Junmyeon is only a couple of steps away from them, so close that he can already smell the scent of rotting flesh.

“You are sick.”

“I’m not. I’m not.” he shakes his head.

“You were bitten…you are now-”

“I’m not sick!!” Junmyeon yells and leaps forward, falling straight on top of Chanyeol.

Baekhyun glances one more time at them and then he starts running on the field as he closes his eyes.

“I’m not siiick!!” Junmyeon screams one more time as Chanyeol kicks him in the guts and the man falls down on his side.

He stands up on both feet and turns around, looking around for Baekhyun shape. In an instant, he’s right back on the asphalt as some fingers wrap around his ankle.

“Take me with you. I don’t want to die.” Junmyeon yells and in the distance Chanyeol hears another scream covering the rest. The hand moves up to his neck, squeezing tightly at the flesh until he doesn’t even see the black bugs. His vision blurs and every noise around gets concealed, as his lungs are burning while he tries to breath for one more time.

“Get off of him!!” Baekhyun screams, throwing a rock towards Junmyeon.

It misses his head only by a couple of centimeters, hitting the car instead. He rashly picks another bigger one as Junmyeon lets go of Chanyeol’s neck and stands up.

“Take this!” Baekyun says, throwing it towards his head.

Junmyeon takes a couple of steps back until he has nowhere to go and Baekhyun throws another one, right into his right eyes.

“Go away from him!” he screams, throwing stone after stone until the man flows to the ground. “Go. Away.” he breaths out, running towards Chanyeol.

“Chanyeol. Chanyeol. Wake up. Wake up. Don’t leave me alone.” he says, shaking his shoulders. “Chanyeol!!”

“Baek…” he whispers, opening his eyes but quickly closing them back.

“Come on. Stand up. You must stand up.” Baekhyun whispers.

Another scream, and he looks up at a couple of people running between the cars, chased by others.

“Please…I don’t know what to do without you. Please…don’t leave me like this…I’m so sorry for making you abandon him but I was scared and so jealous and…please…I don’t know what to do.” he whispers, glancing from time to time at the road through the space between the two cars.

“Help…me stand up.” Chanyeol eventually says.

Baekhyun smiles, grabbing both of his hands and then pulling him to his feet as the ground feels like shifting from beneath him and his lungs are being set on fire.

“Chanyeol…” he whispers.

“We…we must…find a car.” he says, breathing out.

“How? There are people inside them. And the traffic…” Baekhyun says, glancing around.

“Not in all of them.”

“But how…”

“You stay here. I’ll start searching for one.“ Chanyeol says.

"But it’s-”

“I’m already infected. You are not. Stay here. Be quiet and if I don’t come back in half an hour leave. Right through the field, avoid the main roads. Avoid people. Find food and water. Water is more important. Don’t wait for me more than half an hour.” Chanyeol says.

“No. I cannot do it without you.” Baekhyun says grabbing his hand.

“I’m sick. Sooner or later-”

“Noo…” Baekhyun shakes his head. “No. You aren’t allowed.”

“I will die. Or turn into something else. But I’d rather die.”

“Never say that. Never ever say that you’ll die because you won’t. I will not let you die. Not alone.” Baekhyun says, squeezing his flesh harder.

“30 minutes. Then you run.” Chanyeol says.

“You cannot die, do you hear me?!” he says as the other steps away from him, between the cars, into the road.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

Chanyeol slowly walks between the two lines of cars, looking right inside them, at all the people gathered together, glancing with big eyes at him, at children hiding at their parents’ chests, quietly crying, at people shouting at each other, at the other ones keeping silent.

“Heelp me, please. Please, somebody help me!”

He has been hearing the cry for help for a couple of minutes now and it seems like, with every step, he is getting closer to the source of the noise. From time to time, his vision goes blurry and hundreds and hundreds of black bugs appear before his eyes, covering everything around. His arm burns as the rest of his body is covered in cold sweats that make him shiver uncontrollably.

“Please…help me!”

He hears it again, closer to him this time and he finally starts walking, even though everything around him appears to be made out of bugs.

In a small blue car crashed into a bigger one he sees a woman with a child gently patting his back as she screams for help from time to time. He slowly walks towards it, leaning on vehicles to keep his balance as everything around is spinning so rapidly that the bile gathers in his mouth.

“Please help…” she says as Chanyeol goes round the car, to the passenger’s seat.

“Have you…been bitten, infected or scratched by somebody?” he asks, closing his eyes as the black car in front of him suddenly turns into a bull with red eyes.

“No…please, I-I broke my arm and Sehun, my son, is not waking up…please.” she says, looking at him.

“Is the car still working?” Chanyeol asks, rubbing a spot between his eyebrows as the bull appears in the darkness of his mind.

“Yes-yes.” she says, turning the key into contact. “Why?”

“Just…wait a little longer. I’ll be right back.” Chanyeol says as he hears another scream and when he opens his eyes he sees a man in a suit running towards him.

“They are everywhere. Out of the damn blue.” the man says as he deeply exhales.

“Who is everywhere?”

“Haven’t you listened to the news, lad?” the man raises an eyebrow. “The ones infected by the virus. This morning there was barely anyone sick and now…there’s hundreds of them up there, into Whittering. The whole damn village is sick.” the man says, as he leans down with his hands in his knees.

“So you are not infected?” Chanyeol asks as sweat is trickling down on his pale face.

His lips feel like burning and when he licks them with his tongue, he can taste blood in all the cracks on them.

“No. Of course not.” the man laughs.

“Good. Then…get into the car where’s that woman with the child. I need to bring someone here and then…we know a safe place.” Chanyeol says.

“Safe place? Where?”

“I can’t tell you know. Just…wait.” he says, glancing around.

“You better not be lying…”

“I’m not. Just wait inside.” Chanyeol says, closing his eyes once again. “Hey…” he turns around to look at the woman. “He-let him inside. I’ll come back in a couple of minutes, alright?!” he says and the woman rapidly nods, unlocking the doors.

“Alright…” Chanyeol whispers to himself, making a step forward.

The ground spins around as he almost falls down; his hand grabs the edge of a car, leaning on it. Everything becomes greyer and blurrier and every step is shakier as he can barely remember the way back. He takes another step forward and another until he thinks that he can walk without leaning on anything

It takes him longer to find where he left Baekhyun, as everything around him is covered in bugs or turns straight into bulls with red eyes that suddenly run towards him.

“Baek…” he whispers.

“God, you came back.” Baekhyun whispers, jumping in his arms. “I thought…I thought you…” he says, glancing up at his face.

He sits up on his tip toes and gently lays a kiss on his lips.

“We must…I found a car. And some people.” Chanyeol says, closing his eyes shut as Baekhyun looks like a bull melted into his thin frame.

“Chanyeol…are you…”

“I’m fine.” Chanyeol snaps, turning around.

“You need to rest and-”

“We don’t have time.” Chanyeol says, grabbing his wrist and dragging him forward. “Nigh time will eventually come and then…” he whispers, stepping between cars as he tries not to stop and close his eyes as the spinning returns and everything is upside down.

“Who are those people?“ Baekhyun asks, walking behind him.

"Did you hear that?” Chanyeol asks as he crouches down, behind a car.

“No. What sh-” but he places a hand around his mouth as he leans on the car.

He takes a couple of breaths in and then, when he opens his eyes, he lays flat on his stomach, looking at the road from underneath a car.

“It’s 3 of them…” he whispers.

“Chanyeol…”

“Be quiet…”

“Chanyeol…”

“What?” he snaps, looking back at Baekhyun.

“In the car…it’s…people.”

“Of course there are people.” Chanyeol says as a shiver runs down through his spine, down into one of his legs. “Daaamn…” he says between gritted teeth as the pain is so excruciating that his mind turns blank and all that he can see now are white bugs.

“Are you…Chanyeol…there’s them in the car too. Looking at us…” Baekhyun says, shaking him. “Please…let’s get to the car and leave.”

“I can’t…move my leg…” he mumbles.

“I could…I could carry you…”

“You need to run.” Chanyeol says, closing his eyes. “The car is in that direction. Right there. Small and blue. There’s a…woman and kid and a…man inside of it.”

“No. You are not going to die here.” Baekhyun says, grabbing one of his hands. “You are not.” he says, grabbing the other one and pulling Chanyeol up. “I’ll carry you. Come on.” he says, standing up on his feet and pulling Chanyeol with him.

“Please…fight. For me. Please, Chanyeol. Please.” he says and Chanyeol eventually stands up on his feet.

“Good. That’s good.” Baekhyun smiles.

“We must run.” he says, looking back at the three man coming in their direction.

“Okay. On 3, alright? 1…2…3…Run!” Baekhyun says, making a couple of steps as Chanyeol trips on his own feet and almost falls down.

“Come on. Come on. They are right behind us.” Baekhyun says, glancing back at the three man who have increased their pace. “Please.”

“Okay…” Chanyeol breaths out, making another step and then another, until he feels like the pain in his leg is bearable.

“You’re doing great.” Baekhyun says, looking back at the men going towards them.

“The car…it’s right there…” Chanyeol points out into the distance.

“Okay…good…we just need to hurry up a little.” he says, speeding up the pace as Chanyeol is limping next to him.

“It’s right there…” he says.

Baekhyun looks back once again at the men who have stopped right in front of a car, staring right inside it.

“I think they’ve stopped chasing us.” he says as he stops in front of the blue car. “Is it this one?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Chanyeol says as he vision blurs once again and everything around him turns into hundreds and hundreds of bugs, looking at him with their glassy eyes, crawling slowly until they climb up on his legs. “Take them off of me. Take them off of me!” Chanyeol screams, waving his arms around as he steps back and back until he trips on a tree branch and falls down on the ground.

“Chanyeol. Chanyeol. You are alright. There’s nothing here.” Baekhyun says, crouching next to him.

“Finally. Come on lad, let’s go. He’s sick and from what I can see not far away from becoming one of them.” the man says, touching his shoulder.

“No!!” Baekhyun yells, glancing at him. “I’m not leaving him here to die.” he whispers as his chest shudders. “I’m not…”

“There’s nothing we can do. If you stay here with him…well…you won’t be far away from this.” the man says, sighs. “We’ve waited 15 minutes…she’s hurt and the child too. I’m not waiting any longer for you.”

“Please…” Baekhyun shudders, falling down on Chanyeol. “Please…don’t leave me…please, Chanyeol. Say something.” he whispers, brushing a couple of damp hair strands from his face. “Please…”

Chanyeol coughs, black blood staining his chin as his eyes slowly open; they are blood shot and the whites are no longer white, but yellow.

“If you go through the fields with the car for a while…you could sleep inside tonight and maybe tomorrow…tomorrow you’ll be there.” he says, smiling.

“You are coming with us too.”

“I can’t…I will make all of you sick.”

“Lad, we are leaving. Are you coming with us?” the man asks.

“Please…you won’t, you won’t…“

"I will. I will…if I find a car…I’ll try finding Kyungsoo…maybe there’s still some time left. He might not be…” Chanyeol whispers.

Baekhyun glances one more time at him, as his nails dig right into the palms of his hands and he rashly stands up.

“Fine.” he says and runs towards the blue car.

“Baekhyun…” Chanyeol croaks out but Baekhyun shuts the door close and the engine starts.

Chanyeol watches them disappear into the field. His eyes are slowly closing but when he hears footsteps close to his ears he opens them and breaths out as white worms are falling down onto his face.

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song recom: [ EXO-Hurt ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SFJoIOrLNo)  
> enjoy:)

“Lad…hey. You couldn’t do anything else. He got sick and-”

“Please…shut up. Don’t act like you care or give a damn or that you understand, because you don’t. So just shut up.” Baekhyun says, glancing at the man.

“As you say lad. As you say.” he says as he keeps on bandaging the woman’s arm with a piece of cloth ripped from his shirt.

“Mom…when are we going home?” Sehun asks, looking from one adult to the other.

“Soon, sweetie. But tonight we have to sleep here.” she says, brushing her fingers through his hair.

“We should be safe for the night in the car.” the man says, glancing back at Baekhyun.

“I’m going outside.” Baekhyun says, breathing out and opening the door.

The cold air of the night gets inside his lungs as he takes a deep breath in. He makes a couple of steps towards a big tree without any leaves covering it and then he falls down, into the grass, right on his knees.

“Damn it…” he mumbles, grabbing a handful of weeds, ripping them out with their roots. “Damn it, Chanyeol…I’m so sorry…so sorry…why didn’t you love me enough?” he says, tearing some more weeds until the palms of his hands are pounding.

He glances up at the sky, but there’s no star on it, only black clouds.

“I’m so sorry…” he whispers, standing up.

He glances at the tree once again and then, he runs towards it, stopping only a couple of centimeters before it. “Fuck you!!” he yells, punching it for a couple of times, until his fist is covered in scratches and blood.

“Fuck…”

His fingers fumble for a couple of seconds with the zipper of his pants, before he finally opens it.

“More than a friend, right?”

“Fuck off.” Baekhyun says, glancing at the man who is only a couple of steps behind him.

“It’s just a piss…hasn’t anyone else seen your cock?” the man asks, stepping even closer, until he is pressed against Baekhyun.

“You have such pretty hands.” he say, taking his left hand between his fingers. “Feminine ones, even.” he whispers in his ear and brings one finger to his mouth; he slowly wraps his thin lips around it and Baekhyun immediately jerks away, kicking him in the shin.

“Fuck off!” he says, zipping back his pants. “Fuck off.” he hisses, walking past him towards the car.

“Laddie…be a good boy. We are both caught in this now.” the man says.

“No, we are not.” Baekhyun says, walking away towards the car and stepping over the weeds that he has just ripped off; they stick to the soles of his shoes and when he opens the door and steps inside, they fall down on the floor.

He closes his eyes as everything seems to be spinning with him, waiting for the feelings to go away.

“I have some crackers if you want.” the woman says, turning around to look at him.

“I’m fine…”

“Your stomach. I can hear it from here.” she smiles, handing him the packet. “I’m Irene.”

“Baekhyun.” he says.

“I don’t trust him.” she says.

“Who?”

“Kris. The man who’s travelling with us.”

“Him…” Baekhyun whispers.

“He has that look in his eyes…you don’t have it.” Irene says, looking down at Sehun’s face.

“Is everyone good?” the man asks as he gets inside the car.

“Yes.”

“Then…sleep tight.” he smiles, glancing back at Baekhyun. “It’s going to be a long night.” Kris laughs, patting the seat.

Baekhyun closes his eyes as he finishes the last of his crackers and can clearly hear the light snoring coming from the boy, sleeping in his mother’s arms. When he glances up in the rearview mirror, he can see his expression in the dim light of the car. There is a splatter of blood on his right cheek. His eyes appear smaller than usual and his pale blue shirt, which right in the morning wad ironed by his maid, is now crimpled and stained.

Baekhyun exhales deeply, lying flat on the seat and turning his back to the reflection.

As he closes his eyes, the only thing that appears before them is blood gushing out of a wound as Kyugsoo keeps on hitting and hitting his arm on the tree bark.

Morning comes as a dusty and rainy veil over the parched land, the constant hit of the raindrops on the metal waking him up from his sleep.

“Laddie…it was about time you woke up.” the man says, looking at him. “We are short on food.”

“I’m not hungry.” Baekhyun says, looking at Irene, still sleeping with Sehun.

He quickly opens the door of the car and steps outside, his shirt getting wet almost instantly.

The man follows him, a couple of steps behind him, right on the same path as the night before.

“Laddie…if you are still mad about last night…” Kris says, walking right behind him. “A man has his needs.” he smiles.

“Fuck off.”

“Laddie…” he says, placing his hand over his shoulder.

“Fuck off, didn’t you hear me?! I don’t care about ‘your needs’ or your apologies. So fuck off and leave me alone.” Baekhyun says, increasing his pace until he leaves the man far behind.

He stops right underneath the tree, facing the other side of the field; Baekhyun hugs his knees, letting his head fall between them. The rain drops keep hitting his head as a numb ache as he keeps hearing Kyungsoo’s voice in his ears and all the blood. And then, everything is replaced by Chanyeol sitting on the asphalt, whispering that he will try to find him.

Slowly, his cheeks turn red as his nails dig deeper into his flesh until he draws blood that he can still feel pounding into his ears.

“Baekhyun…?”

“Yes?”

“Here.”

When he looks up he sees Irene handing him an apple as an umbrella is above their heads.

“How did…”

“I always leave prepared when I’m with Sehun.” she smiles, glancing down at the boy. “Kris said that we should leave.”

“Alright.” Baekhyun says, standing up.

“I just want to say…that I’m sorry about your friend.” she says, looking back at him.

“It’s alright. You don’t have to be.” Baekhyun whispers, walking past her, back to the car where Kris is already in the driver’s seat.

“She’s our mother Theresa. But we still need to find some food. Which means that we should find a village.” Kris says. “How far away did you say that safe place is?”

“200km away. North.” Baekhyun says, getting inside the car.

“You will get sick.” the man says, throwing him a bigger orange cloth. “Use that.”

He stares at it for a couple of seconds and then places it next to him on the seat. The man sneers, scratching his growing stubble, while Baekhyun keeps looking through the window, at Irene’s thin frame walking through the rain that only hits the red umbrella above her head. Sehun is holding her hand, keeping his small head down, without even looking at anything else but his muddy shoes.

“Beautiful woman, isn’t she?” Kris asks, looking in the rearview mirror at him. “Makes this shit show better, doesn’t it?” he laughs just as she opens the door and glances at Baekhyun who has started shivering for some time.

By noon, the car gets stuck in the muddy dirt. Baekhyun and Kris get out to push it while Irene is at the wheel, pressing and pressing on the gas pedal. It takes them far over an hour to get it moving, as the land is slippery and wet and the rain keeps pouring over them.

When he gets back inside the car, Baekhyun stares for a moment at the orange cloth and then he picks it up and wraps it around himself, as cold chills are making him shudder and his teeth chatter.

“Damn it…I think we might be going in the wrong direction.” Kris says after a while. “There’s no village and we have no food. No water. There’s no sick fuckers here either. We will die of hunger not the disease.” he says as Irene covers Sehun’s ears.

“I didn’t finish my apple. Give it to Sehun.” Baekhyun says, handing it to Irene.

“Thank you.” she smiles as Kris quietly smirks.

“Here, sweetheart. Eat.” she whispers to the boy.

“I want to go home.” he whimpers, hiding at his mother’s chest.

“Are you sure this is the right way?” the man asks.

“How would I know? I usually use the road. Not the field.” Baekhyun says between gritted teeth.

“There. A house!” Sehun shouts, pointing towards a building raising from some weathered bushes and trees.

“Damn. You have good eyes.” Kris laughs. “Maybe we aren’t as deep in shit as I thought.”

 

-

 

“Get off of me…” Chanyeol mumbles after the man fell on top of his chest, the hit kicking all the air out of his lungs. “Get off…” he says, trying to push the still body off of him as the cold rain starts dripping over his face.

His leg still feels numb, like pins and needles have been pushed into it and his lungs burn and as he can barely breathe, the person moves, or this is how it feels, because when he opens his eyes everything is covered in black bugs and suddenly, his blood bubbles in his veins.

Chanyeol pushes the corpse to the side, staring with bulging eyes at the mass of bones and flesh and blood, through which hundreds and hundreds of bugs and worms are crawling to the ground, coming closer and closer to him.

He shivers, glancing at his finger that seems disconnected from the rest of his body. Chanyeol looks around, until he spots a sharper edge on a car that crashed into another one, and without much effort, he stands to his feet, crashing the insects with the soles of his shoes.

The finger rapidly pounds as small bugs falls down from the wound, right on asphalt that he steps onto.

Looking at the sharp metal, blood is rushing to his face, turning his cold sweats into burning warmth. The first hit brings a pang of pain, but as he keeps crashing the finger into the edge, it grows fainter and fainter until the finger falls on the ground, with all the worms trickling from the open wound.

Chanyeol stares at the white bone poking through the flesh and he bursts out into laughter. There’s no blood, only hundreds and hundreds of bugs before his eyes, some of them covered in red and other painted in white.

Everything starts spinning with him as Chanyeol leans on the car, closing his eyes.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song recom: [ Echosmith-Over my head ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-QliajJLdE)  
> enjoy:)

“This…has recently been abandoned.” Kris says, glancing around the kitchen.

“But why? There’s no…” Irene trails off, holding Sehun’s hand tightly.

“Who knows? They might have panicked. Left for somewhere safer.” he says, opening the fridge. “Food. Baekhyun, Irene. Empty it and every cupboard you see. I’ll go check what’s upstairs.” Kris says, giving them a toothy smile.

“There’s a lot of food…like they’ve just done their shopping.” she says, picking up a carton of milk. “It doesn’t feel right to me.”

Baekhyun hums, opening a cabinet filled with tins and packets of rice and easy to cook food. “It’s like they were prepared for this.” he says, opening another one to find cooking oil and even more tins.

“What if they are…”

“We’ll be quick.” Baekhyun whispers as he opens a third drawer.

His eyes lay on three hand guns, dimly shining in the fluorescent light of the kitchen.

“What’s in there?” Irene asks.

“Ju-just more tins.” he says, shutting it close.

“Go awaaaaaaay!!!”

“Mommy…” Sehun whimpers, grabbing her hand.

“Baekhyun…” she says as he quickly runs up the stairs, feeling his heart thumping in his ears as each step is slower and slower, until he is barely making any step on the hallway, towards the door that is laying ajar.

“Go away or I’ll cut you…”

“Easy…” he hears, rapidly recognizing the man’s raspy voice.

“What’s going on?!” he asks, stepping in the doorframe.

In the middle of the room, holding a big kitchen knife with both hands, with the blade pointed towards them there’s a girl, no much older than 16. Kris has his arm pointing outwards, sporting the same smile he had earlier.

“What’s going on?” Baekhyun asks one more time, realizing that he has nothing better to say.

“Go away. Don’t come closer to me or I’ll cut you.” the girl says between gritted teeth as Kris makes another step.

“Easy, cupcake. We are not here to hurt you.” he smiles.

“I don’t need your help!” she yells, waving her knife through the air.

In that exact moment, Kris sprints forward, grabbing her wrists and throwing the object away from her on the floor.

“Get that, Baekhyun.” he says as the girl is twisting in his grip.

“Let go of me…” she says, kicking his foot.

“Easy sweetie…you don’t want to get hurt, now do you?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.

Baekhyun slowly walks forward, until the tip of his shoe touches the blade and then he picks it up with trembling fingers, seeing his twisted reflection in the metal; when he turns it around, he can clearly see the man’s face in it, as if it is staring straight at him.

“Now…we are going to take you with us. Somewhere safe where you won’t be alone.” he says, whispering the last words into her ear. “Go to Irene and the kid and help them.” he now says, looking up at Baekhyun.

He glances one more time at them, before he looks again at the knife he is holding; this time he sees the reflection of the window in it, the orange light making in look covered in blood. His grip tightens around it, feeling the wood dig into his palm. Suddenly, when he glances back up at the man, he almost makes a step forward and then another one.

In 3 seconds he would be right next to him and in just another motion, the blade would slice the thin flesh of his throat, truly staining it with the red liquid.

“Didn’t you hear what I said?” Kris asks just as Baekhyun turns around and runs down the stairs.

He drops the knife in the hallway, stepping over it so that the blade shatters into two big chunks.

“Baekhyun…what is going on?” Irene asks.

“He found someone.” he gulps down. “A girl.”

“And is he going to take her with us?”

“I think.” he whispers, walking past her, to the kitchen counter.

He opens a couple of drawers with trembling hands until he finds the cutlery one, and his fingers tighten around a small knife. Rapidly, he shuts it close and opens the last one and picks up a gun. It’s just as small and grey, with some brown leather inserts; heavy in his hand, he turns it around, weighting it before he places it in the back pocket of his jeans.

“Have you packed everything?” Kris asks as he walks inside, dragging the girl by one arm. “Irene. She is your responsibility from now on.” he says.

“Why is she tied up?” the woman asks, placing the tins on the table.

“She wouldn’t cooperate.”

“Cooperate? This is not-”

“Can’t you all see that there are no rules? The government cannot handle all of this. Nobody gives a fuck about breaking the law. What matters now is that we survive.” he says, pushing the girl forward, until she is standing face to face with the woman.

“And taking people hostage is your way of surviving? We are still civilized.” Irene says, looking straight at him.

Baekhyun rapidly grabs a cloth from the table and just as quickly, he raps it around the knife before he shoves it in the front pocket of his jeans.

“I’m in charge here. Do you hear me?! I’m in charge, but if you have a better idea, please…talk.” he says, leaning on the table. “I’m listening.” he smirks, glancing at the girl who slowly steps back.

He grabs her arm once again, shoving her forward until she falls on the ground.

“Take care of her.” he says, stepping away and then walking straight to where Baekhyun is standing. “And you…when will we reach…that safe place?”

“Soon. Some kilometers north of here. Tomorrow morning we’ll be there.” he says, lightly touching the pockets where he placed the hand gun.

“Good. You better not lie to me.”

“No. I don’t.” Baekhyun says, gulping down.

“Good. Now…we need some more gasoline.” the man says, walking out of the room.

“What’s your name?” Irene asks the girl still sitting on the floor.

She shakes her head until her blonde hair cover her face. The woman kneels down, next to her and places a hand on her shoulder.

“I don’t want to harm you…I am not like him…so please tell me what’s your name.” she says.

“Lisa…” she whispers.

“Lisa. If you promise that you won’t run, I will untie your hands.” Irene says, gently touching the rope.

“No.” Baekhyun says, stepping next to them.

“No?” she asks, looking up at him.

“No. You heard what he said.” Baekhyun says, dragging Lisa up to her feet.

“And you’re doing what he says? Is he your boss?! Don’t you have a conscience?” she says.

“Yes, I do. And what we need right now is to stick together and survive. That’s what we need to do.” Baekhyun says, feeling the weight of the gun and knife dragging him down. “If you care about Sehun-”

“Don’t you dare bring my son into this. I thought you were better. But I was wrong.” she says, taking the boy in her arms and walking outside, into the garden.

Baekhyun sighs, closing his eyes as he sees once again the blood gushing out of the wound as Kyungsoo kept hitting his arm on the tree bark. He slams his fist over the table, making Lisa flinch and step away from him.

“Sit in the corner and wait for me to finish packing.” he says, breathing out. “If you make one single move anywhere else…I’ll shoot you.” he says.

 

-

 

When Chanyeol opens his eyes it’s still dark outside, as the rain is silently pouring over everything. His first instinct is to hide and let the bubbling fear take control over him. It’s still dark, and even though his eyes feel so heavy and sticky, all that surrounds him is made out of black bugs that continuously crawl around.

There’s a dull ache in his hand and when he glances at it, he sees the white bone peaking through the torn apart flesh.

Leaning on a van, he finally stands up as his legs are trembling underneath him. He quickly looks inside the car next to him as his vision becomes clearer suddenly. It is empty.

He opens the door and looks inside, searching for the keys in the contact. But the clearness is replaced ones again by bugs and a terrible anger that makes him yell and hit with all his force the steering wheel until his fist is bleeding. It’s bruised.

And just as quickly, he spots the keys, lightly dangling in the contact. Chanyeol sits down on the chair and turns them around. He’s feeling dizzy and hungry and thirsty, but he ignores everything as he pushes the gas pedal and turns the car around on the field.

From time to time, he cannot see anything but bugs and darkness, and feel anger and hunger for something.

Then, he loses control over the car, as it keeps speeding through the weeds over which the orange sun is shining. Suddenly, the car stops, almost passing over a rock; one of the wheel is still over it, causing the car to lean to the side.

His vision comes back to normal as he shakes his head and looks through the dirty window at the tree in front of him that he just hit. There’s blood splattered all over it and a still hanging on the bark there are pieces of grey clothing and flesh.

There’s hope.

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have no song recom this time :(

“We won’t sleep here.” Kris says, shutting close the trunk of the car.

“Why?” Irene asks, having an arm wrapped around Sehun.

“For some reason her parents left the house. It might not be safe. And Baekhyun here says that his safe place is close. Isn’t it?” he asks, glancing at Baekhyun.

“It is…but during the night…”

“Is it night yet?” Kris asks, raising an eyebrow.

“No.”

“Then what are we waiting for then?” he laughs, passing by Lisa, who is standing right next to Irene; her hands are still tied and when the man stops in front of her, she flinches, taking a step back.

“But first…I just need have a little talk with Baekhyun here. Like men.” he smiles, walking towards him to pat his shoulder. “Come on.” Kris says, pushing him forward with enough force that Baekhyun almost trips and falls down to his knees.

They walk until they reach the back of the garden, stopping right next to a tall, green fence.

“I have the impression that you are trying to trick me here…” the man says, pushing him back into the fence. “But I suppose you have yet to understand whose the trickster here…not you, obviously.”

“I’m not lying to you.” Baekhyun says, gulping down.

“Of course not. Why would you?” Kris whispers, taking a step forward until their chests touch. “Listen carefully…if tomorrow morning we won’t reach that safe place of yours, laddie…” he says, and suddenly grabs Baekhyun’s groin, kicking him with his knee right in the belly. “Let just say that you’d wish you were bitten too.” he says between gritted teeth as he steps away from him.

Baekhyun falls down on the ground, closing his eyes shut. “Fuck you.”

“What did you say?”

“Nothing.” he whispers, spitting down at his feet.

“That’s what I thought too.”

He opens back his eyes as the pain becomes bearable, and there’s only a throbbing sensation in his body. The sky has turned red now, melting into blackness as the stars look like trembling fireflies.

“We’re leaving.” Irene says as she walks up to him. “Are you alright?”

“Yes.” he says, standing up.

“What did he talk to you about?”

“None of your business.” Baekhyun says, passing by her without another glance.

He gets into the car in utter silence as he notices the girl on the seat next to him, still tied with the same grubby ropes.

“I’m driving the whole night. The sooner we get there, the better.” Kris says, smiling.

The car starts with a loud noise that eventually dies down after a while of driving through a field that still has some wizened sun flowers on it. After some time that trickles too slowly, when the night has finally fallen over the land and only the crickets can be heard, the car suddenly stops with the same loud noise.

“Fuck.” Kris yells, rushing out of the car.

He hits it with his shoe a couple of times before he opens the hood and stares inside of it until he walks a couple of steps away; they all wait in silence, until the man picks a stone from the ground and throws it into the windshield.

“Damn!” he shouts, hitting it one more time. “It’s dead. Dead…the engine is fucked.” he says, shutting the hood close. “We are staying here tonight then.”

“We could return to the house.” Irene says.

“No. We are sleeping here tonight.” Kris says.

“Why would we? At least there is a home, her home and-”

“I’m in charge here. In charge, do you hear me, whore?” he yells, opening the door on her side. “Did I make myself clear enough?” he asks between gritted teeth.

“Yes.”

“Good. You.” he says, looking straight at the girl. “Come with me.”

Lisa quickly glances at Baekhyun and then straight at Irene. But none of them says anything as Kris slowly walks to her side of the car, stopping right in front of the window.

“Now.”

With trembling fingers, she opens the door and steps outside, glancing one more time at Baekhyun.

He can feel the gun slightly digging into his flesh as the knife is heavy in his pocket. And then he waits, keeping his eyes closed; counting in his mind until he says 200 out loud and then he starts again.

“If you still had some courage left in you, you’d do something about this. We are still humans.” Irene whispers, holding Sehun in her arms. “But you don’t.”

There’s the first scream, reverberating through the field, followed by a sharper one and a growl. Then it’s all quiet and the knife almost digs into his skin even though it is still wrapped in the cloth.

“You’d do something…” Irene whispers as Baekhyun opens the door and shuts it closed.

He stays in the same spot, counting the seconds until he reaches 10 and then he makes a step. Followed by another one and another one until he is fully running; his heart is beating in his ears as the wind is brushing past him.

He suddenly stops when he sees the contours of the man’s body, hovering over the girl. Baekhyun closes his eyes and what he can only see is the blood gushing out of the wound, splattering the tree bark until everything is covered in red.

His fingers slowly reach his pocket and even slower pick the cloth with the knife in it. It feels heavy on his palm and when he uncovers it, the blade shines in the moon light.

Baekhyun looks up once again at the man who has yet to feel his presence; he makes another step, followed by one other, until he is standing right behind him.

When his fingers clench around the handle, his mind goes blank, covered by blackness as he cannot seem to be able to hear even the ragged screams coming from the girl. A cricket sings in the stringent silence as he bends forward right when the man turns around. The blade cuts through the thin flesh of the neck, smoothly, making its way deep as the blood gushes out, splattering all over his hand.

The man’s eyes suddenly become bigger as his mouth opens to say something but no word comes out, only a hiss.

Baekhyun pulls out the knife just as the other falls down, on his side. He bends down, his arm going down until the blade cuts again into his neck, and right again in his chest and neck and arms and belly and body.

His face and clothes are covered in blood, and Baekhyun can clearly smell the iron scent through the air.

The knife falls on the grass as himself falls down, staring into empty space as the only thing he can see is all the blood trickling down, covering him in it.

 

-

 

“Kyungsoo! Kyungsoo!” Chanyeol yells, running through the tall weeds.

His feet get tangled in them and he falls down into the dirt. It’s everywhere, in his mouth, on his face, clothes, on his soul as he crawls through it and his vision gets blurry once again and all that he can see are those black bugs that now don’t make any sense. Because he knows they aren’t there, as you might have known as a kid that there was no big scary monster in the closet, but in the middle of the night, you still did and believed in it.

His knees get sore and scratched as his pants quietly tore open as he keeps on crawling through the weeds that keep on hitting his face, and all those insects that get inside his mouth with the dirt. He spits them out, on and on and on, until he has no spit left, and all that he finally sees before his eyes is blood.

“Kyungsoo…” he tries to yell, but the words don’t come out, only as an itch caught in his throat.

“Kyungsoo…” he looks up and right in front of him, somehow, right underneath an oak tree, there is the shape of a man, dressed in a grey hoodie stained with blood and grass and mud.

“Kyungsoo!” he eventually yells out, burning his lungs and throat as his nails dig into the ground, trying to sit on his feet.

He falls once again, right on his face, but he pushes himself with his arms and legs and head until he’s on his knees and then standing up.

“Kyungsoo…” he whispers.

He takes one step after another, slowly rubbing his feet that limps after him and breaths out deeply as the earth starts spinning around with him again.

“Kyungsoo…” he says as he falls right next to him, on the tree bark. “Hey…it’s me…” he smiles, feeling his lips crack and bleed out over his chin, into his mouth. “Hey…”

He takes Kyungsoo’s face into his hands, gently brushing off the hair that is stuck to his forehead. “I came…for you. You’re not alone. I didn’t let you…be alone in here…you hate being alone.” Chanyeol laughs, spitting out blood on his pants. “I came…” he whispers, looking down at his face, splattered with blood and cuts.

He closes his eyes, as everything starts spinning again and the bile gathers in his mouth. In the distance, he can faintly hear a siren, but he isn’t sure. There’s a buzzing noise right next to his ear and when he opens his eyes, he sees a bee flying around.

“Hey…do you remember when that bee…” he laughs, closing back his eyes, “when that bee stung me on the nose and I looked like Rudolph for two weeks?”

Chanyeol runs his fingers through Kyungsoo’s hair, placing his head over his heart. “And then…then you drew with a carioca on yours too…and went like that to school?” he says, opening his eyes.

“Kyungsoo…” he whispers. “Kyungsoo…you hate being alone…but you’ve always been alone. I’m so sorry.”

“I’m so sorry.” he says, wrapping both arms around his body, rocking him back and forth.

The bee keeps buzzing around until it sits right on Kyungsoo’s cheek. “I don’t think it wants to sting you…so you shouldn’t be afraid.” Chanyeol says, smiling. “You shouldn’t be afraid.” he says, closing his eyes and humming. “I’m here with you now, so you shouldn’t be afraid.”

 

“I’m here with you…” he whispers as his eyes slowly close and the bee flies away and Kyungsoo’s head falls down from his chest.

 

“Here…”

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

EPILOGUE  
  
"What have you done?" Irene yells, kneeling down next to the girl that keeps trembling on the cold grass.

  
"I don't know...nothing...nothing." Baekhyun whispers, staring down at the dead body in front of him; covered in cuts that make some bloody constelations, the red liquid is gurgling down onto the ground, seeping into it.

  
"Lisa...Lisa. You are safe. It's alright." the woman whispers, touching her hand.

  
But the girl flinches, crawling away from her until she hits a tree with her back.

  
"Lisa, sweetheart...I'm only trying to help you." Irene keeps saying as Baekhyun stands up on his feet, almost tripping on the corpse in front of him.

  
The gun in his back pocket is heavily weighting and as he picks it up, he hears a crow croak into the distance. He only stares at it for a couple of seconds as the crickets keep singing at his feet and then there's suddenly silence in his mind as he presses the gun to his temple. It's cold, the metal on his skin, so he closes his eyes.

  
"Baekhyun...Baekhyun, what are you doing?!" Irene yells just as he slowly, slowly presses down on trigger and for a second, he thinks that nothing will happen.  
But then, a flock of birds suddenly flies into the sky from the small forest ahead of them, just as the crickets stop singing.

  
"Baekhyun...oh my God, oh my God, what have you done?" Irene yells, running towards his body that is lying right next to the other.

  
"Oh my God, oh my God." she whispers.

  
-

  
  
"Where am I?" Chanyeol whispers as he opens his eyes to a brightly illuminated room.

  
"You are now safe." a smiling woman says, looking down at him.

  
"But how..."

  
"We found you right next to the road to Withrope." she says.  
"Kyungsoo...where is

Kyungsoo? Kyungsoo was with me! I-I...where is Kyungsoo?" he asks, mumbling his words.

  
"There was no one else with you. Now you must rest and get better." she smiles, standing up.

  
"But...I know that Kyungsoo..."

* * *

  
"I'm so sorry...but you were all alone on the field. I'm so sorry." the woman smiles, walking out of the room. "If you need anything, just press the button."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, just to clear some aspects up:  
> -Lisa was raped by Kris but I didn't want anything graphic so it's mainly at the reader's latitude what actually happens;  
> -Baekhyun has wanted for quite a while to harm Kris( he picks the knife and gun, he imagines slitting his throat, esp after the first night on the road with him)  
> -Baekhyun in the fic has some anger management issues and in the end, after he kills Kris, he feels guilty for killing him and making Chanyeol abandon Kyungsoo, and also alone and with no purpose really;  
> -in the end, I wanted to make it seem like they found the cure for the disease (or maybe not)  
> -also, Kyungsoo and the rest were not true true zombies-the 'virus' was slowly taking control over their brain, making them have hallucinations (bugs, the dog etc) and also, becoming more agressive, disoriented, needing to cut the part of the body that was injured because they didn't feel like it was part of them anymore; they would die like any other human from injuries and just the disease in general, so their 'life span' is rather short.

**Author's Note:**

> comments and feedback are loved :)


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